Man, know thyself

The greatest teachers of all, it seems, have made the statement eloquently, that to grow spiritually, we must get to know ourselves. What, however, are we learning when we learn about ourselves? We are getting to know God! You think not? Perhaps you had better take another look. I won't go into details now. Suffice it to say, that through meditation, one uncovers unconscious material that effects our lives in a hidden way. Hexagram 57 line 2 discusses this to some extent. The line says, "Penetration under the bed..." The bed is often a symbol for that which supports us or that which we rest upon. The beliefs and the structures we use to enable us to live and move often are found to be wanting. Therefore, they need to be replaced with more useful belief systems. When we have penetrated the subconscious belief systems that have been propping us up, we may realize they need changing. The commentary in Wilhelm/Baynes says, "At times one has to deal with hidden enemies..." The beliefs and structures we have created sometimes need changing. They are truly hidden enemies, and at the critical moment, they betray us. It is through meditation that we uncover hidden enemies. Meditation is the Priest and Magician that is used. We constantly uncover our hidden motives to discover the darkness within us and shed light in that darkness. More on this later.